Late for Dinner
by NaniWahine
Summary: This takes place following the return of The Team from The Tower planet in SGA Episode 2.15. Rodney, Ronon, Teyla, and Sheppard chat over dinner with the Atlantis' chef.


This episode takes place after "The Team" returns from The Tower (Episode 2.15) planet. Emma is the head chef of the Atlantis' galley - she is also a figment of my imagination.

Sheppard's team filed tiredly into the galley, wary of the day behind them, but also elated by their discoveries. Emma, the head chef of Atlantis' galley, was busy finishing up their dinner. There was a small "chef's table" in the galley's kitchen, just for those late-night after-hours dinners, which happened more often than anyone expected. This time she made them turkey stew with (multi-planet) multigrain bread she baked herself this morning, and peach crisp for dessert. She also had a surprise for them, a sort of thank you for a job well done.

She could hear McKay complaining even before he walked in:

"You wouldn't believe the mess we got ourselves into this time! And all because Mr. Testosterone here," he pointed back at Ronon behind him, "Decided to stand up for a woman's virtue."

Emma was surprised to hear THAT, because at best of times Ronon could be described as boorish. She looked over at Ronon and saw an expression she had never seen on his face before, a sheepish mixture of embarrassment and complete self-satisfaction.

She couldn't help but smile at the transformation and shot back at McKay:

"I guess chivalry is not dead in Atlantis after all, eh, Rodney?"

"'Eh?' So you're Canadian now?" Rodney was obviously in a prickly mood. Or he was hungry. Or both.

Teyla decided it was only fair to give Emma some background: "It was mainly a simple, farming society, with most of its resources being committed to the ruling class, which lived in a portion of a city very similar to Atlantis. So they had very little for themselves, and even less to exchange with us."

"And McKay kept complaining about their food." Sitting down at the table, Ronon continued the story.

"Well, their food sucked, and all we got was scraps." McKay fell into the chair next to Ronon.

"Like I said, Rodney," chastised Teyla "we should be grateful that they shared the little they had."

"We had to listen how he couldn't wait to get back," continued Ronan, "and see what you had waiting for us."

Rodney turned beet-red and stammered:

"That's not what I said."

"Yes, you did." confirmed Ronon matter-of-factly.

"No. I. Didn't."

"Whatever." replied Ronon, obviously tired of the subject, and he dug into his bowl of food instead.

Just like being back in high school, thought Emma.

"Ok, so I said I was hungry and that food was miles better at home, but that's it." snapped McKay after a pause.

Teyla and Sheppard were watching that exchange, too busy enjoying the stew. Then Sheppard asked Teyla: "Did he really say that?"

"Yes, just like Ronan said." was Teyla's simple reply, and her mouth was full again. As soon as she swallowed that bite, she graciously complemented the chef. "This is delicious, Emma." Grunts of assent followed from the rest of the table.

McKay suddenly remembered something, and started up again:

"And guess what? Sheppard got the girl again! I mean where's justice in that? Why, just for once, can't it be me?"

"Maybe because he has a bigger gun than you." offered Ronon with a totally straight face, causing Emma and Teyla to exchanged smirks invisible to the men, who suddenly became bickering teenagers.

"Well, maybe it's my natural charm and positive disposition." Sheppard was visibly disturbed by being reminded of the incident.

"Maybe it's the Ancient gene." interjected Emma, adding more bread to the basket.

"How did you know?" Sheppard looked up at her in surprise, and she shrugged confused.

"Actually that was exactly it, this time." Explained Teyla. "It turns out that the ruling class needed a fresh injection of the Ancient gene in order to maintain the control over the tower, like ours in Atlantis, and the drones. That's how they survived the attacks of the Wraith for generations."

"And I bet you managed to get your hands on the drones." Emma was ecstatic to hear the good news.

"Yep, and a few jumpers too." Sheppard beamed proudly, as did the others.

"That's the best cause for a celebration we had in a while! And I just have a perfect dessert for it too..."

But she didn't have a chance to finish, because McKay obviously wasn't finished yet:

"Maybe McKay is just too smart for the alien chicks?" he continued bitterly, and both Teyla and Emma exclaimed at the same time with an outrage: "Hey!"

"Watch it, McKay! These two could definitely kick your ass." Ronon bumped him good-naturedly with his elbow, and got up to get seconds. Rodney seemed to see the logic in that and, reluctantly, he shut up.

"It's not like I'm asking for it." Sheppard brooded, reaching for another piece of bread. "They just kind of throw themselves at me."

"You're too nice, so in a way you ARE asking for it." Said Teyla simply.

Emma couldn't wait to agree with her: "Most women respond that way to guys who show them kindness - they think it means something, that the guy has feelings for them."

"So you think that women in this galaxy are wired the same way that women in our galaxy are?" McKay interjected sarcastically, evidently still pissed off, while Sheppard watched the women intently with a frown of concentration.

Ronon seemed to have removed himself out of that discussion, and was standing by the galley counter, with his arm folded over his chest, listening half-heartedly. He was obviously waiting for dessert.

"We do share some of the genetic material with the people here, don't we, Rodney?" asked Emma, and while he only nodded since his mouth was stuffed with food, she continued. "I believe that a lot of these behaviours are genetically encoded in us, as a species, and that they are gender-specific. For centuries, if not millennia, we've been shaped by society and nature to fulfil certain roles - women as care-takers and mothers and men as hunters and protectors - and it's difficult to fight those inclinations, even if we've been trying to change that for the last hundred years, which seems like a drop in a bucket by comparison. So I think it's reasonable to assume that we would have some of these behaviours in common."

"Well, since you put it so logically, it would be safe to assume that." McKay agreed grudgingly. "But it still doesn't explain why it's always Sheppard that gets the girl."

"Try being kind next time, Rodney, and see what happens." Teyla also got up and patted him kindly on the shoulder. "So, got dessert?"

On mention of dessert Ronon got reanimated and busied himself with getting bowls and spoons.

"As I was saying," responded Emma with a meaningful look at McKay, "I've got something extra special for you today. We just got a shipment of fresh Georgia peaches from Daedalus and I made us a lovely peach crisp with vanilla ice cream. You would not believe the stashes of Ben&Jerry's I found on that bloody ship, and the greedy buggers are hiding them from us!"

"Ben&Jerry's?" Asked Teyla.

"It's an ice cream company - best ice cream ever, too." sighed Rodney. "It's named after two hippies who started the company".

"Hippies?" It was Ronon's turn to ask.

"Guys who believe in peace, and sunshine, and recreational drugs." explained Sheppard.

"So I got us a few boxes". Emma continued. Then added as an afterthought. "They'll never miss them."

They all looked at her astonished, until finally Ronan said with disbelief "You stole them."

Emma just beamed back at them: "Consider it a thank you for saving our collective butts, yet again."

"Well, that's a side of Emma I thought I'd never see." Sheppard nodded with approbation and rubbed his stomach. "I'm stuffed, but I'll make space for your peach crisp with some 'borrowed' Ben&Jerry's."

"Coming right up." Said Emma diving into the oven for the crisp.


End file.
